Riana of the Dunedain
by CalenBee
Summary: On HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

Riana is my OC so please don't steal. Riana is Aragorn's older sister (older by four years). They are seperated, he is taken to Rivendell and Riana is left to grow up as a Dunedain Ranger. Will the two meet again? Hope you enjoy the story_!!_

_Chapter One_

* * *

"Mama, they're back!"

A small girl with auburn hair, excitedly opened the front door of the house. She looked happily at the group of men walking through the village, but as soon as they came clearer into sight, she saw that each face was grave. They were carrying what seemed to be a cart, pulled along by a giant shire horse.

"Mama …" said the little girl softly. Her mother, Gilraen stood beside her.

"In the house little one" she said but the small girl looked up into her mother's face, and was nearly brought to tears. She was so pale. Without warning, the small girl rushed from her mother's side, to the cart. None of the men stopped her and by the time she paused beside what was upon it, she already knew. She already knew the terrible truth. Upon the cart was her father. Arathorn. The late chieftain of the village. Arrowheads stuck crudely out of his chest and smears of dirt and blood stained his blank face.

"No …"

Horror struck the small girl, and it moved her beyond tears. She could not understand, being so young but she hated being torn away. Hands clasped over her arms as she was pulled away gently by her mother. "Riana, what have I said about running … away." Each word Gilraen said seemed to be causing her intense pain. Her grey eyes roved over her dead husband but stemmed the flow of tears which threatened. Instead she nodded to each man around the cart.

"Bury him by his father."

The men nodded.

* * *

Gilraen, little Riana and her baby brother Aragorn stood at the foot of a grave. A body wrapped in cloth was laid into the earth, as men and women sang around it.

"What happened, Mama?" said Riana, a small breeze playing with her auburn hair.

"Daddy has gone to his fathers" replied Gilraen soberly. The woman looked as if she would never smile again. Riana looked down. Emotions were turning inside her but she had not cried yet.

"Can I sing for Daddy?"

Gilraen sniffed, suppressing a sob and nodded. Riana stood forth, and the men and women choir fell silent.

"_With a sigh,_

_You turn away_

_With a deepening heart_

_No more words to say_

_You will find_

_That the world has changed_

_Forever_

_(Music plays)_

_And the trees are now turning_

_From green to gold…_

_And the sun is now fading _

_I wish I could hold you_

_Closer…"_

The song seemed to stop the time of the day. Each person around the grave looked amazed by such a sweet yet strong voice from a six year old.

"You sung that gorgeously," said an old woman. Riana merely nodded her head, and silently watched as dirt began to pile on top of her father's body.

Eventually, everyone else turned away.

* * *

"We have no Chieftain. We are leaderless." said a strong man named Bon in the local Inn that night. Gilraen sat in a dark corner, only reluctantly there because she was the most important person at the meeting. "Gilraen, your son is the next heir for the Grey Company."

Gilraen finally looked up from staring into the fire. Her face was white, hollowed and her eyes deadpan in the firelight.

"I don't know what it is you ask of me," she said.

"Do what has been tradition of each Chieftain of this tribe." Growled Bon. "I knew Arathorn best as ye, and he should be raised in Imladris. There is but five of us left."

Gilraen looked down at her feet. "I cannot do that."

"Why?" said Bon.

"What of Riana?"

Bon looked sympathetically at her. "I will look after her. But you must protect your son. If anyone else knew of his true heritage he will be slaughtered like a lamb. Take him to Imladris."

Gilraen looked down at the burly man's intense gaze. He noticed that life had gone beyond the woman's eyes and her only hope was to save what was left of her family, and of the Dunedain.

"You are right" she said. "I will take him, Ónen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim _(I gave hope to the Dunedain, I leave none for myself.)_

Bon looked at her gravely.

"Tenna' ento lye omenta, Arwenamin" (Until next we meet my lady)

It was a grave heart when Gilraen readied her horse for the next morning, and packing Aragorn's clothes and belongings. Riana watched her from her bed, a frown curving her brow.

"What are you doing, Mama?" she said.

"Getting ready for a surprise dear," she replied. "On a little adventure."

Riana whooped and stopped Aragorn from sucking his fist in his mouth. Soon, Gilraen had stored away most basic items and ushered for Riana to come outside. The morning was fresh and cold. Her horse, Anrid, was prepared. Bon soon appeared out of nowhere, leading his own burly built steed, Asca. He was wearing his long brown coat and a pair of powerful buckled boots. His massive, hard sword glinted in the sunlight.

"Scouts will meet you in the woods and you must be quick" he said to Gilraen who only nodded. She silently hoisted a baby Aragorn onto the back of Anrid. He was contentedly sucking on both his thumbs and humming to himself. Riana meanwhile was staring at both her mother and Bon. Something wasn't right.

"Are you going somewhere mother?" she said. Bon looked uneasily at Gilraen.

"Yes I am Riana" she replied kneeling down to her six year old daughter's height. "I have to leave."

Riana's lower lip trembled. "W- What? Am I not coming?"

Gilraen shook her head slowly.

"NO! NO! NO!" Riana screamed, but she was hoisted firmly by Bon in case she ran away. Instead Gilraen gave her daughter a spasmodic embrace before mounting her horse. Riana cried from Bon's arms.

"Aragorn!" she yelled, "I wanna see Aragorn!"

Bon held her tight and moved over. As Riana made to hug her younger brother, he burst into tears at the sight of his older sister's face. It was a heartbreaking site.

"Here" said Bon. He reached out and placed a certain ring into Gilraen's hand. It was Arathorn's ring. The ring of Barahir. She stared at Bon, full of understanding.

"He will learn of it when he is of age. Look after Riana. Treat her well!"

With one last brief kiss of her stricken daughter, Gilraen took off on her steed and cantered out of site. Riana was still sobbing but Bon looked into her face.

"Well it looks like it's just you and me."


	2. Chapter 2

Riana is my OC, dont steal pls. Thanks to Sparkalie for her encouragement, kudos to her!

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_85 years passed since that fateful day. Aragorn was brought up in Imladris, and soon over the years he soon forgot that he had a sister. Lord Elrond did not speak of it. He did not think it was important; the girl was probably dead or long recognised in the wilds or Eriador, grown into a wild ranger. Aragorn had known the truth of his heritage when he came of age but did not peruse it. Instead, he became a recluse and wandered the wilds on his own developing the name Strider to the locals. _

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Two swords were fighting. Well they weren't fighting they were practising.

"Never hesitate" said Bon swinging his broad blade through the air. The woman he was duelling with dodged his blow and paused, bringing her own sword to the man's neck.

"Nervous?" she grinned.

The man ducked and skilfully brought his own sword behind her back.

"Petrified" he laughed into her ear.

The slashing of swords carried on. "You told me never to change sword hands" she said.

"Yes. When you know how to use it, you won't be taking my orders"

The woman laughed again swinging back her head, which was full of thick auburn hair. "And what orders are they?"

They both laughed into the silence. Finally they finished the duel with a shake of hands. Riana pretended to break the giant fist that was Bon's. The large man sank down beneath a tree in the wood that they were in with his chest panting with lots of breaths. He looked like a burly man gone slightly to seed. Riana stood nearby cleaning her sword.

She had grown so much over the years. Her hair was still its normal reddish-brown and it fell to her waist in wavy, dishevelled strands. Some clumps were braids which were falling out. She had the build of her mother, even though she was not very tall her frame was politely thin. She looked on the world with acute brown eyes which never lost there shrewdness and her lips were small but full. And like all Dunedain Rangers she wore a long darned trench coat, breeches, and thick boots clumpier enough to rival Bon's. She was a Dunedain Ranger.

"You do know we are in dangerous lands, Bon?" she said.

The man nodded. "Scared are you?"

"No" she said. "But even you can't deny that the amount of orcs seen is a bad omen. Something isn't right."

Bon laughed. "Ever the optimist"

Riana smiled grimly.

"Pass me the flask" he said. Riana rolled her eyes and gave him his flask of whiskey.

"What did your last slave die of?" she said. Bon drank deeply ignoring her. When he finished he said: "Come let's move out."

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The duo travelled swiftly over the plains, blessed with the indefatigable energy that the Dunedain rangers had.

Finally, they paused for the night beneath a swamp.

"Great choosing" sighed Riana, flopping onto a rock. After a few minutes she got up and scouted the area, offering to hunt for the night. She brought back a deer and they both ate profusely over the large fire she erected.

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The sound of horse hooves were heard in the far distance. They sounded powerful and purposeful as if they belonged to a great beast. Riana felt cold and opened one brown eye, looking ahead into the pitch darkness.

Something wasn't right.

She sat up.

"Bon" she whispered. The lump that was Bon stirred and he sat up groggily.

"What?" he asked.

"I hear something."

"What? A rabbit?" groaned Bon. Riana silenced him with a look and they both listened hard. Suddenly, the sound of clumping horse hooves sounded again.

Bon shot Riana a quizzical look.

"Someone's nearby" he whispered. "But whom?"

"A traveller maybe" Riana whispered back whilst still listening "but who would in these lands? I have an ill feeling about this."

Suddenly, something definitely moved nearby. And it wasn't a rabbit. Riana dived for her sword and so did Bon. His cobalt eyes stared ahead.

"Wait" he said. Riana nodded her heart panting. It was too late to put out their fire. Whoever was in front of them had most certainly spotted them. Suddenly when Riana turned to look at Bon she uttered a petrified scream.

Bon sat limp with a sword skewered straight through him and it was from a singular rider draped in a black cloak.

Riana scrambled to her feet and began to duel. Not trying to think about Bon the man who she had looked to as a father …. Now dead!

"SCUM!" she roared at the creature which was now piercingly trying to ensnare her. Riana ducked from a blow and picked up a flaming branch from the large fire. She threw it at the thing's face and it got stuck. It let go of her fighting and uttered a scream of pain. Blinded by its pain it struck Riana in the side and she collapsed to the floor. Her face was white and it contrasted greatly to her red hair.

Blood poured from the wound.

It was pain … pain … pain beyond endurance … could she fight it?

As she bled to death she blearily saw the thing melting away into the darkness. With as much energy she could manage she crawled over to the body of Bon and stared into his bloodless face. The mighty man had fallen and Riana wept whilst stroking his face.

"No … no …" she wept "don't go. Please don't go where I can't follow …. Please …."

There was no answer of course and soon, everything went black.


End file.
